The 15-acre Elvis Presley Park includes a Memorial Museum (shown below*). The museum explains Elvis's early days and how his rural Mississippi roots influenced his future.

In addition, a small, meditative chapel was built from donations from fans. Other elements include a Walk of Life that denotes each year of Elvis's life.

A bronze statute “Elvis at 13” also depicts Elvis wearing overalls and carrying a guitar (see photo above right*) He was 13 when his family left Tupelo.

Then there's the house. Many visitors are awed at the sight of this tiny two-room wooden house. Although furnishings are not original, Elvis' father came to the site in the 1970s. He instructed staffers on how the initial placement was back in 1935.

Adult admission for the house and museum is $7; children's admission is $3.50.

If you're an Elvis fan, you won't want to miss the Elvis Festival, which gets under way during the first week of June each year.

Nature's Playground

If you're in the area, definitely head four miles north of Tupelo to explore the Natchez Trace Parkway Headquarters and Visitors Center (800-305-7417, 662-680-4027 or or www.nps.gov/natr), 2680 Natchez Trace Parkway.

The section of the trace that traverses the Tupelo area is designated by the green star at right.*

The center's exhibits follow the history of the trail (hence the name "trace") which native Americans used as a footpath nearly 8,000 years ago.

Later, the trace was used by Spanish explorers, British troops and frontier settlers.

Today along the two-lane, 444-mile National Scenic Byway, you'll find 800 types of plants and 400 types of wildlife.

The Trace stretches from Natchez, MS through the Alabama Shoals, and across the Tennessee Valley to Nashville. Another good Web site to access for Trace information is www.scenictrace.com.

And if you're seeking family-focused fun that folks of all ages will enjoy, check out the Tupelo Buffalo Parkand Zoo (866-27BISON, 662-844-8709 or www.tupelobuffalopark.com), 2272 North Coley Rd.

Here you'll find one of the largest herds of buffalo east of the Mississippi River. Actually, the bison is native to the Tupelo area.

Surprised? Many Americans aren't aware that bison roamed for thousands of years within many areas of the U.S. South.

Hunted prolifically over the past few centuries, they vanished. But now, they're being re-introduced in some spots, either in the wild or, more often, (as in Tupelo) in a natural, zoo-like attraction.

Admission to the Tupelo Buffalo Park and Zoo is $10 for adults, $8 for children under 12, and kids under 12 months are admitted free. Buffalo bus rides or trolley rides throughout the park are an additional $3 per person.

From historic architecture to Elvis memorabilia, from buffalos to art, from a scenic byway to antique autos, Tupelo has a cornucopia of eclectic diversions for southern travelers.